In The Shade of the Porcupine Tree

The Bald Monkey: Well, are you keeping yourself busy now that all of the concerts and amusement parks are over?
Mumi: Ah! But, they are not quite over. We are just switching gears a bit.
The Bald Monkey: More Rush concerts and roller coasters?
Mumi: Not quite. It's the Halloween season, so all the goblins and ghouls are out for a fright fest. I think we'll be going on some haunted hayrides or wandering through some corn field mazes or going through some scary haunted houses. Want to come along?
The Bald Monkey: No way! Not me! That kind of stuff scares me, and then I stay up late at night thinking about it.
Mumi: Oh, and of course, over the next two weekends we will be rocking out in the shadow of the Porcupine Tree.
The Bald Monkey: Now, that sounds like more my thing. Where and when are the shows?
Mumi: This Friday October 12th over in Arlington at the State Theater. Then, Saturday October 13th up in New York City at the Beacon Theatre. Then, the following Saturday October 20th in Atlantic City for my 30th P-Tree show at the Trump Marina.
The Bald Monkey: Awesome! I must go to all three.
Mumi: Yeah. I guess you can tag along.
The Bald Monkey: You usually do more P-Tree shows, don't you?
Mumi: Yeah, but we did four last spring and after all the Rush shows we, decided to only go to three P-Tree shows that are all close enough to drive home from the same night.
The Bald Monkey: So, are they still touring for the Fear Of A Blank Planet album?
Mumi: Kind of, but they have a new EP out called Nil Recurring. It's four songs that runs about 30 minutes. It's kind of a companion piece to the Fear album. They released it on their own label and only printed 5,000 copies. 3,000 to sell online and 2,000 to sell on the road. The 3,000 copies sold out in six days, so they pressed some more, and now there should be enough for everyone.
The Bald Monkey: So, they will still be playing "Anesthetize" in addition to the new EP?
Mumi: I hope so. It's funny that you mention that song.
The Bald Monkey: Why is that?
Mumi: That's the one that is played during the intermission at the Rush shows, because Lerxst plays on it. It runs about 17 minutes long, so it fits well for a 20 minute break.
The Bald Monkey: Fascinating!
Mumi: Ha ha ha ha! Bubala and I go to this really cool diner close to our house called the Honeybee. We always go there, and if you come visit us, we go eat there because it's very gay friendly for Glen Burnie and we have become friends with the owner. Well, they recently remodeled and put in one of those Internet jukeboxes. So, while we were waiting for a booth on one Sunday morning, we noticed that Porcupine Tree was on the jukebox so Bubala suggested that I play "Anesthetize." It took a whole dollar to play, but it started playing and whereas most songs are over in about 5 minutes or less, this one just keeps going and going. Like I said before, the song is 17 minutes long. It makes all the rounds from hypnotic rock with lyrics about prescription drug abuse to acrobatic death metal with lyrics suggesting that we have become consumer culture zombies to a somewhat ambient moody ending reflecting loss.
The Bald Monkey: So, what was the Honeybee's reaction?
Mumi: Well, I don't think many people heard it that first time. It was a crowded Sunday breakfast rush crowd.
The Bald Monkey: First time? You mean you played it again?
Mumi: Yeah. We've played it quite a few times now. There was one time when this gay couple was in there with us, and they had played "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and then " Gypsy Tramps & Thieves." Then, all of a sudden, "Anesthetize" came on and it's playing... and it keeps playing, and we are all eating our food. It gets to the point where in the song where it is really rocking thunderously and one of the other gay guys who is obviously waiting for his other songs to play while he is eating asks the waitress, "Who is this playing?" She looks at the jukebox and comes back and replies, in a thick southern Baltimore accident, "It says Porcupine Tree or something‘ like that." The gay guy goes, "Hmmm... Interesting." You could tell that he was hating it big time and he wanted it to end then and now. And all the while, it's playing "Only apathy, from the pills in me. It's all in me, it's all in you. Only M-TV and cod philosophy. It's all in me and all in you." Bubala and I just kept eating like we were listening to the best dinner music ever. And trying really hard not to bust out laughing...
The Bald Monkey: So, you really have been following P-Tree for some time, huh?
Mumi: Yes. Their "Sky Moves Sideways" CD was the first thing Bubala ever gave me back when he was my manager at Tower Records in 1995. It was a free promo copy, and he told me that it was very good. which means that he probably never even listened to it. Now, he has been forced to listen to it and many other P-Tree CD's like it thousands of times. And, he is forced to go on wild and crazy journeys following the Porcupine Tree all around. He's met and hung out with the band. On the last tour, they even made him a roadie for a night. So, who knows what exciting thing are going top happen on this round of dates. I'm sure that we'll see lots of our other P-Tree road friends and maybe even make some new ones and add a few more dates to the ever growing list...

Wheaton, MD -Phantasmagoria - 5/26/99
Bethlehem, PA - Zoellner Arts Center (Nearfest) - 6-23-01
Philadelphia, PA Relapse Records (In store performance) - 6/25/01
Philadelphia, PA –TLA 6/25/01
Philadelphia, PA –TLA - 7-26-02
Baltimore, MD -Thunder Dome - 7-27-02
Baltimore, MD –Fletcher's - 11-7-02
Washington DC - 9:30 Club - 7-21-03
Washington DC - 9:30 Club - 5-13-05:
Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony - 5-14-05shi
Boston, MA - Somerville Theater - 5-18-05n
NYC, NY - Irving Plaza - 5-20-05
Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero -5-21-05
Washington DC - 9:30 Club -9-26-05
Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theater - 9-27-05
Providence, RI - Lupo's - 9-28-05
Boston, MA Virgin Mega Store (In store performance) 9-30-05
Boston, MA Berklee Theater- 9-30-05
NYC, NY Town Hall - 10-1-05
Chicago, Il -Park West - 10-11-05
Chicago, Il Park West - 10-12-05
Boston, MA Newbury Comics (In store performance) - 10-5-06
Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center - 10-5-06
NYC,NY Nokia Theatre - 10-6-06
Philadelphia, PA Keswick Theater - 10-7-06
Falls Church, VA - State Theatre - 10-8-06
NYC - Nokia Theater - 5-19-07
Baltimore, MD- Ram's Head Live - 5-22-07
Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory - 5-23-07
Boston, MA - The Roxy - 5-25-05
Falls Church, VA - 10-12-07
NYC - Beacon Theatre - 10-13-07
Atlantic City, NJ -Trump Marina - 10-20-07